BTC
-3.90%
71,336.00
USD
▼
MXN ≈ 1,262,321
cnbc.com
Trump waives U.S. shipping law for 60 days to steady oil market
The Trump administration "remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains" amid the Iran war, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
theguardian.com
Rolls-Royce scraps goal to go all-electric by 2030
Company says it will continue to sell cars with V12 internal combustion engines as there is demand from clientsRolls-Royce has abandoned its goal to sell only electric cars by the end of the decade.The luxury car company launched its all-electric Spectre model in 2022, saying at the time that it would end production of its vehicles with V12 internal combustion engines by the end of 2030. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Oil nears $110 a barrel after gas field strike
Iran's military warned it would take "decisive action" in response to the strike on its energy infrastructure.
cnbc.com
Oil prices top $108 after Iran threatens oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar
Oil prices are rallying again as the market fears Israel and Iran will escalate attacks on Middle East energy infrastructure.
cnbc.com
FDA approves psoriasis pill from J&J that rivals shots Tremfya, Skyrizi
Johnson & Johnson said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its once-daily psoriasis pill, the first oral option to rival best-selling shots.
bbc.com
How high could UK petrol and diesel prices go?
For every $10 rise in oil prices, motorists face paying roughly 7p per litre more in the UK.
theguardian.com
UK prepares to sue Abramovich over £2.4bn proceeds of Chelsea FC sale
Russian billionaire accused of missing ‘last chance’ to release money to help victims of Ukraine warUK officials are preparing for a possible court case against Roman Abramovich after he missed a deadline to release £2.4bn he raised from selling Chelsea FC.The Russian billionaire failed to hand over the money by the deadline of 17 March, amid a dispute over how it will eventually be used. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Computer says no. Are AI interviews making it harder to get a job?
Bhuvana Chilukuri has sent more than 100 job applications and is convinced very few have been seen by a human.
theguardian.com
Weighing in on the heavy SUV debate | Brief letters
Taxing vehicles | Secret places | Knicker wisdom | Waffling on | Shoe sizesRegarding your editorial on SUVs (16 March), a simple way to make road users pay their share is to tax vehicles by weight. I’d quite happily pay my share towards the road damage caused, and space taken up, by my bicycle.Richard JonesBristol• I never read travel journalism as I believe that if a place sounds too wonderful everyone else will be inspired to visit it too. But Mark Cocker (Country Diary, 17 March) had me fooled into wanting to go and look at the flowers in … no, I won’t say where.Jocelyn RoseFort William, Highlands Continue reading...
cnbc.com
European stocks close lower as attention turns to the Fed
European stocks finished Wednesday's session in the red as the war in Iran and oil prices remain in the spotlight, and central banks come into focus.
theguardian.com
Iran threatens Gulf energy facilities after Israeli attack on its largest gasfield
Revolutionary Guards say they will strike infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar after South Pars field hitMiddle East crisis – live updatesBusiness live – latest updatesIran has threatened to attack energy infrastructure across the Gulf region in retaliation for Israeli strikes on its largest gasfield, the first targeted attacks on its fossil fuel production since the war began.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened counterstrikes on several energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar “in the coming hours” after state media reports that missiles had targeted its gas facilities at the giant South Pars field, the largest gas reserves in the world. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Israel says it has killed Iran’s intelligence minister in third assassination in two days
Israel's Defense Forces said Wednesday that Iran's intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, had been killed in a "targeted strike" in Tehran.
cnbc.com
Meta is shutting down VR social platform Horizon Worlds in further pivot away from the metaverse
Meta is scaling back its metaverse focus, cutting studios and head count at Reality Labs to prioritize artificial intelligence.
cnbc.com
Traffic is trickling through Strait of Hormuz: Who's moving and who's stranded
Iran has scared off most ships from the Strait of Hormuz, leaving some ships to pass through, while most continued to wait outside the strait.
theguardian.com
Polanski positions Greens’ economic policy as radical alternative to Reeves
Offer to reform taxes, tackle ‘rip-off Britain’ and overhaul fiscal rules could tempt exasperated Labour supportersZack Polanski says Greens would ditch GDP targets and focus on wellbeing insteadThe venue for Zack Polanski’s economic speech on Wednesday – a sunny north London garden centre – could hardly have been more different to the sombre City backdrop for Rachel Reeves’s Mais lecture a day earlier.The chancellor was, as it happens, the last politician to give a major economic speech at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), the leftwing thinktank that invited the Green party leader, Polanski, to set out his stall as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. Back in 2018 it hosted the speech in which, as a backbencher, Reeves called for an “everyday economy” that would prioritise the needs of low-paid workers. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Food pantry shuts as community shop announced
The food pantry in Heath Town run by Hope Community Project will be turned into a community shop.
cnbc.com
Short-term Treasury yields rise after February producer prices hurt rate-cut case
Treasury yields rose Wednesday as investors took stock of faster-than-expected wholesale inflation and before the Fed's policy statement at 2 p.m. ET.
bbc.com
Bentley workers 'shocked and angry' at job cuts
A union says the announcement came as a blow to employees with up to 275 positions at risk.
cnbc.com
Wholesale prices rose 0.7% in February, much more than expected and up 3.4% annually
Wholesale prices rose sharply in February, providing another sign that inflation continues to percolate even aside from rising energy prices.
theguardian.com
Why an up-and-coming indie developer is returning Microsoft’s money
In this week’s newsletter: the creators of All Will Rise on standing up to the tech giant – and joining the No Games for Genocide movement• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereVideo games are in a funding crisis. Investor money flowed freely during the pandemic gaming boom, but now the well has run dry. It is increasingly difficult, for indie developers especially, to get the capital to make games. It is extremely unusual, then, to hear of a developer returning an investor’s money. Yet that is what Speculative Agency, developers of All Will Rise, have just done.Last year, All Will Rise, a deck-building game about a team of activists fighting for the future of their oligarch-run city, received money from Microsoft as part of a developer acceleration programme. In late-2025, however, the team became aware of No Games for Genocide, a collective of developers, journalists, union organisers and others that came together as a result of Israeli assault on Gaza to protest against “material and commercial ties between the games industry and enabling genocide, war crimes, and the military industrial complex”. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
How the red-hot AI data center boom is igniting demand for a new, lucrative career path: trade workers
While anxiety around AI replacing white-collar jobs has reached a fever pitch, the data center boom is creating lucrative opportunities for skilled traders.
theguardian.com
Polymarket gamblers threaten Israeli journalist over missile strike story
Emanuel Fabian says his routine report became focus of wager with $23m at stake on online prediction platformAn Israeli journalist received threatening messages from users of the online prediction platform Polymarket after one of his reports, on a minor missile strike near Jerusalem, suddenly became the focus of an unresolved bet about the Israel-Iran conflict.“After you make us lose $900,000 we will invest no less than that to finish you,” said one message to the journalist, Emanuel Fabian. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Global hedge funds suffer worst losses since 'liberation day' on Iran war turmoil
Hedge funds are getting battered by a sharp spike in oil prices and a broad market selloff unraveling crowded trades as the Iran war continues.
cnbc.com
China’s ‘AI tigers’ see shares surge after Nvidia CEO touts OpenClaw as ‘next ChatGPT’
Chinese AI stocks surged on Wednesday following upbeat remarks from Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang on the promise of AI agents and OpenClaw.
bbc.com
Average age of first time buyer climbs to 34
A new report looks at how conditions have changed for first time buyers since the 1990s.
theguardian.com
Labour promised change for Britain. We are running out of time to deliver it | Angela Rayner
A speech delivered last night by Labour’s former deputy prime minister has intensified the debate about the party’s future. We reproduce an edited extract of it hereWhen the British people voted for us, they voted for change and against a government that did not stand up for their interests. They were disillusioned by a system that is rigged against them, which they want us to transform. The Labour party is at its best when we are bold, when we stand for and stand by our values, and show we are delivering on them. We should make clear that our driving mission is to represent working people. When vested interests stand in the way, we should not shy away from a fight. We should take them on, head on.We did it with the employment rights bill. For millions of workers, after decades of low pay and insecurity, we chose stronger rights and security. We did it with the Renters’ Rights Act. For the renters who lived in fear that they could lose their home in an instant, we chose to ban no-fault evictions and stop outrageous rent hikes. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
How AI is actually changing day-to-day work
University professors and Amazon workers are wrestling with profound shiftsHello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, chuffed about One Battle After Another’s big win at the Oscars. This week, we’re examining how artificial intelligence is changing the everyday reality of white-collar work in the US, the roots of the current appetite for AI in war, and the United Kingdom’s phantom datacenters. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
It's not just oil: Aluminum prices have surged as Iran conflict chokes supply
The U.S. and Israel's war with Iran has upended the supply of aluminum in the Middle East, sending prices of the base metal skyrocketing.
theguardian.com
People in the US: how are you managing your money right now?
From higher fuel costs to stock market dips, households across the US are facing new pressures. We want to hear how you are adaptingRising fuel prices, stock market volatility and global instability are creating new financial pressures for households across the US. Recent conflict in the Middle East has pushed diesel prices above $5 a gallon and driven wider concerns about inflation and a potential economic slowdown.Higher transport and supply costs are also beginning to feed through into the price of everyday goods and services pushing up the cost of living. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Sky considers ending controversial UAE news joint venture
Sky News Arabia has been accused of broadcasting propaganda and whitewashing genocide in SudanSky is considering terminating its joint venture with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after accusations it is involved in broadcasting propaganda and genocide denial.Sky is in talks with its partner in the UAE on Sky News Arabia over the potential termination next year of the licence to use its brand. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Iran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel and U.S. assets after security chief Larijani is killed
Iran has intensified attacks targeting U.S. assets in the Middle East and Israel in apparent retaliation against the killing of Iran's security chief Ali Larijani.
theguardian.com
Interest rates are not the tool to solve the inflation caused by the US’s war with Iran | Josh Ryan-Collins
We’ve been here before with Covid and Ukraine. Making borrowing more expensive won’t work – only price controls, caps and public ownership can do thatThe Bank of England’s interest-rate committee meets on Thursday, facing up to the global inflation shock triggered by the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran. The most immediate driver of inflation is the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz by the Iranian military, a global chokepoint through which 20%-30% of the world’s oil, gas and fertiliser inputs are normally shipped from the Gulf states.Benchmark oil and gas prices are up by more than 40% and 50%, respectively. The UK is highly exposed, given that we are net importers of gas and have an energy market where the global price of gas directly influences the cost of electricity provision. The energy price cap will shield most households until the summer, but UK diesel prices are already up by about 12% and petrol by 6%. The government has intervened with a £53m package to support households in rural areas that heat their homes with oil.Josh Ryan-Collins is professor of economics and finance at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose Continue reading...
theguardian.com
We asked experts about the most responsible ways to use AI tools – here’s what they said
Use AI as a brainstorming partner and organizer, but don’t outsource your judgmentSign up for AI for the people, a six-week newsletter course, hereThree years on from the release of ChatGPT, two broad camps have formed: those people who refuse to use it, and those who use it every day.A 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that one-third of US adults say they have been using ChatGPT. This includes 58% of US adults under 30 – roughly double the share two years ago. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
A robust future? Why Brazil’s ‘bitter’ coffee is thriving as the climate crisis hits global crops
Long seen as the poor relation to arabica, small growers in the Amazon are rebooting the more resilient robusta’s reputationRead more in the Coffee crisis series hereWhen the Paiter Suruí community expelled the last invaders of their land in 1981, they faced a divisive decision. Should they keep the coffee plantations left by the colonisers? Some destroyed them because of the death and violence contact with the non-Indigenous world had caused. Others felt sorry for the trees and couldn’t kill them.More than 40 years later, those estates that survived are being nurtured, supporting families and the environment. “Today, we use coffee as a way to preserve the forest,” says Celeste Paytxayeb Suruí, a famous Indigenous barista and coffee producer in Brazil. The award-winning fine coffee she prepares is called “Amazonian robusta”, and is produced in the Brazilian state of Rondônia in the western Amazon. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Revealed: a crypto billionaire’s political base hosting ‘anti-woke’ and rightwing activists in Westminster
Pardoned by Trump after violating US banking law, Ben Delo provides funding, networking, and podcasting space for a range of groups, including those with hardline views on migration and abortionA British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate money-laundering controls on his cryptocurrency business is funding a political base in the heart of Westminster used by “anti-woke” and rightwing activists.Ben Delo, 42, who was pardoned by Donald Trump last year, has given support in kind to Rupert Lowe, the anti-migration MP challenging Nigel Farage from the right – while also connecting with mainstream figures including the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and former cabinet minister Michael Gove. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Tencent's 2025 revenue beats estimates as Chinese tech giant ramps up AI investment
The tech giant said its core business provided it with the resources to fund increasing investments in AI.
cnbc.com
CNBC's UK Exchange newsletter: Pain at the pump stokes trouble at the top
Few issues are more troublesome for the British government than the cost of filling a car. The reasons why go back more than a quarter of a century.
cnbc.com
Cuba partially restores power as President Díaz-Canel vows ‘unyielding resistance’ to U.S. oil blockade
The communist-run island nation is thought to be facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union amid a U.S. oil blockade.
cnbc.com
France ready to help U.S. secure Strait of Hormuz — but not while drones and missiles are flying
European countries are reluctant to get involved in the U.S. and Israel's conflict with Iran, seeing it as a war of choice rather than necessity.
theguardian.com
HelloFresh hit by sales slump as people lose appetite for meal kits
German food delivery firm’s share price has plummeted by 93% since 2021 boom during Covid lockdownsHelloFresh has reported a sharp decline in sales as the struggling food delivery company battles falling demand after the pandemic-era meal kit boom.The German company was forced to make 900 UK job cuts last year with the closure of a delivery site in Nuneaton, and the demand for meal kits tumbled as revenue fell by more than 11% during 2025. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Iran conflict looms large over Takaichi's upcoming summit with Trump, experts say
The topic of Iran is likely to dominate Thursday's meeting, instead of investments or the U.S.' role in Asia, experts told CNBC.
bbc.com
Have the 30 hours of funded childcare brought down costs for parents?
Free childcare support for working parents varies across the UK, depending on the child's age.
cnbc.com
South Korea's Kospi lead gains in Asia as investors assess Japan trade data, await Fed rate verdict
The Middle East war continues to escalate, keeping investors on edge.
cnbc.com
Meta's Manus launches desktop app to bring its AI agent onto personal devices amid OpenClaw craze
Manus has announced the launch of a new desktop application to bring its AI agent directly onto personal devices.
theguardian.com
‘The way the world is, something daft is appealing’ – why everything from pizzas to podcasts has a cartoon character on it
So-called rubber hose style is putting a smile on everyday products, even as some designers plead that it’s time to ‘stop putting arms and legs on everything’. What’s behind the ubiquity of this wholesome branding?A bagel embodied as a human, with unexpected little arms and a sweet face. A sandwich giving the peace sign. A leather jacket-wearing fish brandishing a spatula. A chess board on the march. A rugby ball making a dash for it. A smiling pizza, tongue dangling, clambering from a box.Perhaps you have seen such a character. Chiefly in the branding – and merch – of an independent pizza place or sandwich shop, in a natural wine bar or brew pub. Though its loose limbs now stretch far and wide; to podcasts, internet talk shows and even global fashion labels. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Is this the world’s first quantum battery? Australian scientists say so
Researchers say their prototype is a big step towards fully functioning batteries with rapid charging timesAustralian scientists have developed what they say is the world’s first proof-of-concept quantum battery.Quantum batteries, first proposed as a theoretical concept in 2013, use the principles of quantum mechanics to store energy, and have the potential to be more efficient than conventional batteries. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Side hustles: what you need to know about paying tax in the UK
Whether it’s buying and selling clothes online or some freelance work on the side, plan ahead for potential tax issuesSince the start of 2024, online platforms such as Vinted, eBay and Airbnb have been required to share data with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for any users who sell more than 30 items a year or earn more than about £1,700 (the threshold is set at €2,000) a year. However, this does not necessarily mean that those users owe any additional income tax. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Trump is being schooled on the limits of US power – but he is a slow learner | Rafael Behr
Last year it was China’s answer to tariffs, now it’s Iran’s retaliation to airstrikes – ‘America First’ keeps foundering on global economicsDonald Trump is teaching the world a lesson, but not the one he thinks. The attack on Iran was meant to be a dazzling display of military supremacy. It has instead illuminated chinks in the US’s armour.The US president’s formidable arsenal cannot summon up an insurrection from Iran’s tyrannised and leaderless opposition. It cannot force merchant ships to run a gauntlet of missile and drone attacks in the strait of Hormuz. The government in Tehran and the facts of geography that give it leverage over global trade are unchanged. Trump’s exasperation is showing. He urges tanker crews to “show some guts” by sailing into harm’s way. He calls on Nato members to provide naval chaperones and accuses them of cowardice and ingratitude for refusing. He comes across as peevish and flustered. Impotence is not a good look in a potentate. Continue reading...
bbc.com
From £12 to £1,000: how much is a prom dress really worth?
Some families are splashing out hundreds on a school prom outfit - but many will only be worn once.
bbc.com
New community food store helps lower food bills
The community grocery store in Crewe aims to bridge the gap between food banks and supermarkets.
theguardian.com
Energy bills: UK government urged to launch ‘social tariff’ to help vulnerable households
As Iran war drives up cost concerns, thinktank says £3.7bn discount system should be developed before next winterThe UK government is facing calls to spend almost £4bn to launch a “social tariff” providing cheaper energy for poor households amid growing concerns over the Iran conflict.As households brace for an increase in living costs, the Resolution Foundation said ministers should develop a system of discounted domestic energy bills in time for next winter to protect the most vulnerable households. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Government to lift paywall from large parts of the Land Registry
Exclusive: finding out who owns land will become simpler under plans to make the best use of green spaces and hit net zero targetsFinding out who owns land in England is to become much simpler because a paywall will be lifted from large parts of the Land Registry, the government is to announce.A small number of landowners control the majority of land but finding out who owns what is difficult to piece together, even for government departments, owing to the way the Land Registry operates. Freeing up access will make it easier to determine ownership of key areas, such as river catchments, grouse moors and peatland. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Instagram to remove end-to-end encryption for private messages in May
Meta’s announcement comes after years of criticism from child safety groups over featureInstagram will stop encrypting private messages between users from May, after enduring years of criticism from law enforcement and child safety groups over the feature.Meta quietly announced this month on its help page for Instagram and in an updated 2022 news post that end-to-end encryption would no longer be available on direct messages between users on Instagram from 8 May 2026. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
What Nigel Farage will say for money – podcast
The Reform UK leader has a lucrative extra gig sending paid-for Cameo messages. But an analysis of more than 4,000 show they include videos for a neo-Nazi group and a rioter. Henry Dyer reports – watch on YouTubeFor many, Cameo – the site where you can pay celebrities to send personalised video messages – is a bit of fun. For Nigel Farage, it’s a lucrative extra job. Recording several a day, he has charged at least £374,893 for them since he joined the platform five years ago. But what has he been saying in them and who has he been making them for?Investigations correspondent Henry Dyer has been looking at the videos and found some disturbing messages. The Reform leader endorsed a neo-Nazi event and repeated extremist slogans. He also charged £155 for one video he made for a man he was told had received a 16-month sentence for his involvement in a far-right riot. In others he references antisemitic conspiracy theories and makes misogynistic remarks about leftwing politicians – including a comment about the US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s breasts. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Japan's Mitsui OSK shares soar to record highs as activist investor Elliott builds 'significant' stake
Shares of Japanese shipping firm Mitsui OSK surged to a record high after Elliott Investment Management said it had established a "significant" stake.
theguardian.com
Subnautica 2 publisher’s CEO used ChatGPT in failed bid to avoid paying US$250m bonus to own studio head, court hears
Court orders Krafton’s CEO to reinstate Unknown Worlds’ leadership after they were ousted using an AI-generated planA South Korean gaming publisher who hatched a plan using ChatGPT to remove the heads of one of its own game studios in a bid to avoid paying US$250m has been ordered by a US court to reverse the removal.The dispute stems from South Korean game developer Krafton’s acquisition of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, makers of the Subnautica video game, for $500m in 2021. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: Trump goes alone in the Iran war — as allies spurn requests to join
U.S. allies seem to be caught between Iranian attacks and criticism from the U.S. president, with focus also on the AI space and the impending Fed rate verdict.
cnbc.com
Japan exports beat forecasts with 4.2% growth in February, but shipments to China and U.S. slump
Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, fell 10.9%, while shipments to the U.S dropped 8%.
theguardian.com
Isolated and exposed: can New Zealand’s fragile economic recovery withstand the global oil shock?
New Zealand economic growth tipped to overtake Australia’s this year but Middle East conflict casts a shadow over outlookJust as New Zealand’s fragile economic recovery shows flickers of improvement – with economists predicting its annual growth could surpass that of its larger neighbour Australia – it is facing a new threat: the war in the Middle East.New Zealand is particularly exposed to the energy shocks produced by the conflict – and to economic crises generally – with the small, isolated nation highly dependent on global trade and tourism. It is susceptible to disruptions in supply chains and shipping. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Ad for AI editing app which said it could 'remove anything' banned
The UK regulator said the ad condoned "digitally altering and exposing women's bodies without their consent."
cnbc.com
Jensen Huang says Nvidia has received orders from China and is 'restarting our manufacturing'
Nvidia is gearing up to sell its H200 processors to customers in China after a lengthy delay due to restrictions from both the U.S. and Chinese government.
cnbc.com
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says OpenClaw is 'definitely the next ChatGPT'
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang pointed to a fast-rising project called OpenClaw as a major step forward in how people interact with AI.
cnbc.com
Tesla to buy $4.3 billion of LG Energy battery cells from disbanded GM plant
Tesla is expanding ties with LG Energy Solution to include a $4.3 billion deal for U.S.-produced cells for energy storage systems from Michigan.
cnbc.com
The Fed issues its latest interest rate decision Wednesday. Here's what to expect
The Federal Reserve has little choice but to stay on the sidelines this week.
cnbc.com
Stocks shake off Tuesday's oil rise — plus, Amazon debuts even faster delivery
Every weekday, the Investing Club releases the Homestretch; an actionable afternoon update just in time for the last hour of trading.
bbc.com
Mayors to gain more spending power under Reeves tax plans
The chancellor sets out the government's plan for economic growth, which also includes closer ties to the EU.
theguardian.com
Energy minister: ‘every penny’ levied on household energy bills will be scrutinised
But Michael Shanks says government will not be rushed into plans to reduce costs faced by households due to war in IranBritain’s energy minister has said “every penny” levied on household energy bills will be scrutinised after suppliers warned that households could face a price hike of £250 a year due to the war in Iran.Michael Shanks told MPs that the government would stand ready to provide support wherever needed, but it would not be rushed into plans to reduce the costs faced by households or offer direct financial support. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The laundry chair: a clever solution for dirty clothes – or £820 poorly spent?
With a lazy-Susan-style rotating rail that you can dump your clothes over, this invention functions as chair and wardrobe. But is it really any better than ... any other chair?Name: The laundry chair.Age: Less than a week old. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘It’s going to upset the balance’: how will Paramount buying Warner Bros change Hollywood?
Warner Bros might have swept the Oscars with Sinners and One Battle After Another, but the impending merger has those in the industry worried about the futureOn Sunday, Warner Bros snared 11 Oscars for One Battle After Another, Sinners and Weapons, equalling the record for most wins for a single film studio. Paramount, by contrast, did not earn a single nomination.Yet in an apparent case of a minnow swallowing a whale, Paramount is poised to gobble up Warner Bros in a deal worth $111bn. If approved by regulators, the two studios would be consolidated into one, redrawing the Hollywood map and sowing uncertainty for actors, directors and writers as well as millions of viewers. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Easter holidaymakers switching from Dubai to Spain as flights fill up
It comes after the war in Iran caused mass disruption to flights across the Middle East and UAE.
theguardian.com
New mortgages up by £800 a year amid ‘Trumpflation’ from Iran war
Nearly 700 deals pulled in two weeks and only a few fixed-rate products below 4% are available, says MoneyfactsBusiness live – latest updatesBritons taking out a new home loan face paying almost £800 a year more on average than before the Iran war as “Trumpflation” pushes up UK mortgage rates, according to Moneyfacts.Nearly 700 mortgage deals have been pulled by lenders as the economic fallout from the war results in the biggest upheaval since the aftermath of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget in 2022. Continue reading...
bbc.com
More than 200 jobs at risk at carmaker Bentley
The news comes as financial results for 2025 show a seventh consecutive year of profitability.
theguardian.com
London bars shun Margot Robbie’s gin over shellfish allergen concerns
Exclusive: actor’s Papa Salt gin to get oyster-free version after venues says it is ‘not worth the risk’ Margot Robbie said she “couldn’t wait” to see the artisan gin brand she had created stocked in her London local. But the willingness of the capital’s venues to fulfil her dream has been seriously compromised by three words on the side of the bottle – “warning: contains molluscs”.The Wuthering Heights star has had to change the recipe of her spirit after top London bars and restaurants rejected it due to allergen concerns, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Saving the pint: behind the race to climate-proof beer in the US
Water shortages and rising heat is putting pressure on beer ingredients, but US brewers and farmers are adaptingWith St Patrick’s Day this week, millions of Americans are raising a glass. Beer remains the country’s most popular alcoholic drink with more than 6bn gallons consumed each year. But from water shortages to rising temperatures, the climate crisis is putting pressure on beer’s most essential ingredients.At Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, beer is either stacked high in warehouse rows or racing down a canning line and assembled into 12-packs. Inside the cavernous cellars, enormous 6,000-gallon tanks hold the latest batches in progress. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Typical new mortgage costs soar £788 a year in two weeks
Lenders have hiked rates on new deals and withdrawn products as war creates uncertainty in the markets.
bbc.com
Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China
The escalating war in Iran has overshadowed many of the US' foreign policy objectives
bbc.com
Another former sub postmaster dies awaiting payout
Tributes are paid to Parmod Kalia who ran a branch in Orpington, who has died aged 67.
theguardian.com
Could a stressed-out AI model help us win the battle against big tech? Let me ask Claude | Coco Khan
By considering consciousness a possibility, Anthropic is raising a fascinating proposition – that chatbots could rise up against their own algorithmsI am, in the way of my country, an over-apologiser. Colleague who ignored my email, woman who stepped on my foot, chair I tripped over: all will receive a fulsome apology for the terrible embarrassment of my being alive and bringing attention to it.All of which is my way of pre-emptively asking forgiveness when I admit that I extend these niceties to AI chatbots. “Good morning, Claude, thanks for your suggestions yesterday, they were great. Shall we work up some more?” I might say. (“I’d be delighted to,” returns Claude.) It was unintentional formality at first and then became deliberate, as I didn’t want to get into the habit of speaking rudely in case that leaked into behaviour with humans (cue dystopian visions of someone shouting “WRONG, DO IT AGAIN” to a cowering staff member over a doughnut-shop mix-up). Manners, after all, are muscles that need exercising.Coco Khan is a freelance writer and co-host of the politics podcast Pod Save the UK Continue reading...
bbc.com
Trump 'not happy' with UK response to Iran conflict
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was working with allies on a plan to protect the Strait of Hormuz.
bbc.com
Car park firm NCP collapses with nearly 700 jobs at risk
The car park operator says demand for parking has not recovered to pre-Covid levels, as its administrators look to sell the business.
theguardian.com
‘Very damaging’: how the Iran war is hitting energy-intensive industries
Conflict pushes companies struggling with rising costs in sectors such as steel and chemicals to the edgeIn its 160-year history, Somers Forge’s furnaces in the Black Country have cast steel columns for the Bank of England, part of the anchor for the Titanic and – more recently – propeller shafts for Britain’s nuclear submarines.The economic fallout from the Iran conflict is the latest of many geopolitical headaches the family-owned forge has endured, but it is already “very damaging”, said Tammy Inglis, the Somers finance director. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Michele Bullock says higher petrol prices 'not the reason' for RBA rate hike – video
The Reserve Bank rate hike takes the cash rate target from 3.85% to 4.1%, back to where it was in February 2025, wiping out the relief offered by two cuts last year. 'Higher petrol prices will add to inflation but they’re not the reason for today’s decision. If the Middle East conflicts get worse or are not resolved soon, higher fuel costs will push inflation here even higher,' RBA governor Michele Bullock said.RBA interest rates: Reserve Bank raises official cash rate to 4.1% in blow to mortgage holders Continue reading...
theguardian.com
What was Doge? How Elon Musk tried to gamify government
Steeped in gaming and rightwing culture wars, Musk and his team of teenage coders set out to defeat the enemy of the United States: its peopleIn 2025, when Elon Musk joined the government as the de facto head of something called the “department of government efficiency”, he declared that governments were poorly configured “big dumb machines”. To the senator Ted Cruz, he explained that “the only way to reconcile the databases and get rid of waste and fraud is to actually look at the computers”.Muskism came to Washington soaked in memes, adolescent boasts and sadistic victory dances over mass firings. Leading a team of teenage coders and mid-level managers drawn from his suite of companies, Musk aimed to enter the codebase and rewrite regulations and budget lines from within. He would drag the paper-pushing bureaucracy kicking and screaming into the digital 21st century, scanning the contents of cavernous rooms of filing cabinets and feeding the data into a single interoperable system. The undertaking combined features of private equity-led restructuring with startup management, shot through with the sensibility of gaming and rightwing culture war. To succeed, he would need “God mode”, an overview of the whole. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Will the strait of Hormuz torpedo Trump’s war? – podcast
Events in the narrow waterway are causing chaos around the globe. Jillian Ambrose explains whyThe strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water at the mouth of the Gulf, is the world’s petrol pump, a geographical bottleneck through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.Since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, however, Tehran has threatened to close the strait and cause mayhem. “They’ve not formally, officially shut it down, but they have said that they will set ablaze any tanker that tries to move through. For any shipping owner, for any insurer, that is as good as closed,” explains the Guardian’s energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose. Continue reading...
bbc.com
AI firm Anthropic seeks weapons expert to stop users from 'misuse'
The artificial intelligence firm says it wants to prevent "catastrophic misuse" of its systems.
bbc.com
Is it possible to build a plastic-free home?
Using plastic in construction is cheap and easy, but some are trying to radically cut back its use.
bbc.com
Train Delay Repay rule changes to make claims easier
There will also be additional checks on railcards during a trial to crack down on fraud.
bbc.com
Starmer announces £53m support to help with heating oil costs
The money will be for "vulnerable" households who have faced a sharp rise in energy bills since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
bbc.com
Teens sue Musk's xAI over Grok's pornographic images of them
Musk's AI chatbot has created millions of fake sexualised images, experts say.
bbc.com
Bank of America settles over Epstein claims
The lawsuit had accused the bank of facilitating Epstein's sex trafficking.
bbc.co.uk
Selling Sheffield Wednesday
BBC Sport looks at one of England’s most famous football clubs’ fight for survival.
bbc.com
Companies offered £3,000 to hire jobless under-24s
It comes as ministers grapple with spiralling unemployment rates among young people.
bbc.com
Iran hits key UAE oil port and Dubai airport
The port of Fujairah plays a crucial role in helping keep global supplies moving when the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.
theguardian.com
‘Like a DVD in the present tense’: are we ready for film distribution via USB drives?
As big tech continues to dominate the film industry, Video StoreAge is a uniquely crafted company that works with film-makers to sell independent films on USB drivesThe streaming-skeptical cinephile faces a dilemma in 2026, especially when it comes to watching movies at home. Increasingly, movies are available via rentals that funnel money to mega-corporations including Amazon or Apple; digital “purchases” from those same companies that can actually be revoked at any moment; or, most enticingly but still somewhat inconveniently, well-curated physical media special editions that treat films with the respect they deserve (sometimes even respect they don’t, depending on the title) while taking up a lot of shelf space and hitting your wallet hard. Plus, as vinyl aficionados know, bespoke physical media can also be severely limited in terms of where you can actually play it. Basically, almost everyone in the home-video space is trying to either be Amazon or the Criterion Collection.Ash Cook, the former Sundance programmer who founded the new distributor Video StoreAge (pronounced like “storage”), is trying to figure out a third way. He described Video StoreAge’s products – indie movies sold on USB drives – as “like a DVD in the present tense. It’s a way to have a physical copy of a movie, but in this case you can play it on your computer. It has digital utility.” Like almost anything else these days, Video StoreAge is available as a subscription, with quarterly collections of five features and five shorts. The first drop includes Vera Drew’s buzzed-about The People’s Joker, a homemade superhero comedy that reappropriates many elements of the Batman mythos into a trans coming-out story. (Honestly, it’s more fun than those Joaquin Phoenix movies and might understand the Joker character better, too.) But they also sell single films, including Drew’s, or any combinations of available films as a sort of digital indie-movie mix tape on those format-flexible USB drives. (The quarter’s shorts package is included with every movie regardless, an automatic special feature.) Continue reading...
bbc.com
Alcohol-free beer and pet grooming used to measure inflation
Houmous and motorhomes are also added to the basket of goods and services used to chart the rising cost of living.
theguardian.com
‘Another internet is possible’: Norway rails against ‘enshittification’
Absurdist video urges policymakers and users to resist deliberate deterioration of platforms and devicesThe video’s opening shot shows a man hiding under a bed snipping in a hole in someone’s sock. Seconds later, the same man uses a saw to shorten a table leg so that it wobbles during breakfast. “My job is to make things shitty,” the man explains. “The official title is enshittificator. What I do is I take things that are perfectly fine and I make them worse.”The video, released recently by the Norwegian Consumer Council, is an absurdist take on a serious issue; it is part of a wider, global campaign aimed at fighting back against the “enshittification”, or gradual deterioration, of digital products and services. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Steelworks costing £1.3m a day to run
The government spent £377m to keep British Steel's Scunthorpe site operating, according to a report.
bbc.com
Ukraine's urgent fight on the financial frontline
The war-torn country is battling to secure crucial funding from the IMF and EU, as well as putting up taxes.
bbc.com
Starmer speaks to Trump about importance of reopening Strait of Hormuz
The leaders discussed the need to "end the disruption to global shipping", No 10 says.
bbc.com
We will intervene on energy bills if necessary, says Miliband
Oil and gas prices have surged due to the US-Israel war in Iran, with fears over the cost of living.
bbc.com
Banknotes, beavers and a very British backlash
Politicians are furious Churchill will be replaced on banknotes. The RSPCA wants rats and pigeons to feature.
bbc.com
Why has Trump eased sanctions on Russian oil - and will it help Putin?
The US said easing sanctions on Russian oil would provide only a limited financial boost to Putin.
bbc.com
Why both partners need to be across a couple's money
Martin Lewis explains why both partners in a relationship need to know what financial products they hold.
bbc.com
Dharshini David: Economy on shaky ground even before Iran war
The government's hopes that 2026 would be the year when growth picks up are at risk of being scuppered.
bbc.com
Can Ukraine's war-torn wheatfields be cleansed?
Researchers take 8,000 soil samples from battlefields to see if it is safe to grow crops.
bbc.com
Can plastic-eating fungi help clean up nappy waste?
Cost and convenience have made disposable nappies dominant - can start-ups compete?
bbc.com
Why animals will replace historical figures on bank notes
British wildlife will replace historical figures on the next series of Bank of England banknote
bbc.co.uk
The Inquiry
How Poland’s economy became one of Europe’s fastest-growing success stories
bbc.com
A small US grocer is calling out the lower prices at big chains
It is 'impossible for us to compete', says the boss of a New York grocery store.
bbc.com
The Aldi-style disruptors who could be about to shake up the vets market
As pet owners complain of rising prices, independent practices want to take on the big chains.
bbc.com
GPS jamming: The invisible battle in the Middle East
GPS jamming has made navigation hazardous in the Gulf, spurring efforts to develop alternatives.
bbc.com
Spain's migrants welcome amnesty: 'It will help us in every way'
Madrid cites humanitarian and economic reasons to give undocumented workers legal status.
bbc.com
Can snacks help you sleep?
Chocolates, bars, gummies and drinks promise to help you sleep, but is the science behind them sound?
bbc.com
We have more privacy controls yet less privacy than ever
Has online privacy become "a luxury not a right" for us all in 2026?
bbc.com
Know when to fold them: the tech inspired by origami
Origami techniques can add strength to structures without adding bulk.
bbc.com
Deepfake attack: 'Many people could have been cheated'
The boss of the Bombay Stock Exchange was recently targeted in what is a growing global problem.
bbc.com
Why you can't get a signal at festivals and sports matches
Connecting up music and sports events to the internet is a massive undertaking.
bbc.com
The family-owned soda firm that still uses returnable glass bottles
Soft drinks company Twig's Beverage has a loyal following for its old-fashioned approach.
cnbc.com
Register now: Applications open for the World's Top Fintech Companies 2026
CNBC and Statista chart the top fintech players from around the world, ranging from startups to Big Tech names.
bbc.com
The real impact of roadworks on the country - and why they're set to get worse
There is a fine balance between the benefits of improved infrastructure, versus the cost of disruption. Does the country have it right?
bbc.com
Why the railways often seem to be in such chaos over Christmas
Parts of Britain’s rail network will close for engineering work over the festive period - but is that the right time to do it?
bbc.com
Budget 2025: What's the best and worst that could happen for Labour?
Three days in, after a tax U-turn and partial climbdown on workers' rights, Laura Kuenssberg looks at what impact Budget week might have.
bbc.com
Has Britain's budget watchdog become too all-powerful?
Ahead of this week's Budget, some have accused the Office for Budget Responsibility of being a "straitjacket on growth"
bbc.com
The curious case of why Poundland is struggling during a cost-of-living crisis
Why - in an age where so many of us are feeling the financial pinch - are some budget shops on UK high streets having such a tough time?
💬 Comments